Amalgamator



(No Model.) 2 Sheets$heet 1.

T. F. FREEMAN.

AMALGAMATOR.

No. 397,846. Patented Feb. 12, 1889.-

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(N9 Model.)

' 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. F. FREEMAN.

AMALGAMATOR.

WITNEESEE.

Patenteg Feb. 12, 1889.

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SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 397,846, dated February 12, 1889.

Application filed February 3, 1887. Serial No. 226,398. (No model) which the following is a specification.

My invention relates especially to devices employed for gathering precious metals, particularly gold, from powdered ore or earth by the use of mercury, and has for its object the provision oi an amalgamator simple to con struct, easy to operatc,and which shall gather substantially'all lhe metal carried by the ore or earth wherewith it is operated.

To attain the desired end my invention consists, essentially, in a sloping conduit mounted upon a suitable supporting-frame, the bottom of said conduit consisting of a series of alternate am algamated plates and agitatablc ri'liies. At the head of the conduit is located a distributing-tal'ile, the bottom whereof is provided with a number of fixed blocks so arranged as to insure a proper spreading of the pulp before it tlows onto the first amalgamated plate. .llountcd above the said distributingtable is a sieve so arranged as to be constantly moved or shaken, showering the pulp on to the distrilmtirig-table; and my invention also involves certain other novel and useful combinations and arrangements of parts and peculiarities oi construction and operation, all of which will be hereinafter lirst fully described, and then pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of my improved amalgamator, and Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof. Fig. is a side clevation. Fig. et is a plan view of one of the riffles, showing the arrangement of the same. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view at line 4r .1 of Fig. i. Fig. (3 is a front elevation, and Fig. 7 is asectioual view, of one oi the crankwheels, showing the method of adjustment of the movement of the parts.

Like letters of reference, wherever they occur, indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. Y

A are the sides of the conduit, supported upon suitable legs, B, and having an inclination, substantially as shown, in order to give a gentle flow to the ore pulp in its passage through the amalgamator.

C is a sieve, consisting of a frame provided with a bottom made of wire-gauze or equivalent material, said sieve being hinged or pivoted at one side or at its center, in order to permit a shaking movement, as hereinafter described.

Beneath the above-mcniioned sieve, at the upper end of the conduit, is a receiving-table, said table being provided with fixed blocks D for distributing the pulp evenly across the bottom of the conduit.

E are amalgamated plates, titling into the bottom of the conduit in such a manner as to be easily removed for scraping, &c.

F are rit'iics located at the bottom of the conduit alternately with the plates E. These riifies maybe made of any suitable material such as wood lined with sheet metal, as illustrated in Fig. 5; or they may be made of cast metal, if found desirable. The edge f of the ritfle is made to pass beneath the plate E which it follows, and the other edge overlaps the succeeding plate E, thus preventing leakage or loss of amalgam. Each ritfle-plate is pivoted at G to the main frame, the pivots engaging with a hole or slot in each side of said frame. Upon the under side of each riffie-plate is an eye, I-I, wherewith engages a downwardly-extending arm, I, the arms I being pivoted to the eyes H and to a drivingbar, Y, running parallel to the bottom of the conduit therebeneath, said driving-bars playing in hangers J. The end pieces, K, of the ritlies are so arranged as to e'xten d behind the side walls of the conduit next the plates E at the upper side of the rilfie and overlap said walls at the lower side of each riffle, thus preventing leakage, as will be seen more particularly in Fig. i. The end pieces, K, are held in place by the sides A of the main frame.

L is the driving-slm-lt ol' the amalgamator, provided with a fast and loose pulley in the usual manner and bearing a sprocket-wheel, M ,movement being transmitted to a second shaft, N, through the medium of a chain, P, and sprocket-wheel R. The inner extremity of shaft-L bears acrank-wheel, S, from which a rod, T, passes to abell-crank, U, pivoted beneath the conduit, the other arm of the bell-crank U engaging with a rod attached to the sieve C. Upon each extremity of shaft N are crank-wheels V, the cranks \V thereon engaging with the bars Y. In order to regulate the movements of said bars, the crankpins 10 are made adjustable to and from the 5 center of the wheels V in the well-known manner.

\Vhen constructed and arranged in accordance with the foregoing description, the operation of my improved amalgamator is as follows: Powdered ore, sand, or earth and water being supplied to the sieve C, the movable parts are started, and the ore pulp will be showered onto the receivingtable, being evenly spread by the blocks D. From said table it flows to the first amalgamated plate E, and then into the first series of riffles, said riflies being supplied with 'mercury in the usual manner. Instead of being stationary, the riffles are kept in constant motion, the

movement being the same as is imparted to the well-known cradle, and thus all parts of the flowing pulp are brought in contact with the mercury, insuring the gathering of the metal contained in the ore. I have shown six sets of riflies; but it is obvious thatany number of rii'tles and any number of amalgamated plates may be employed without departing from the spirit of my invention. From the peculiar construction of the device 0' no oil can possibly get into the pulp a'feature of great importance and we l understood by those skilled in the art to which myinvention relates.

In cleaning up the amalgamator the plates 3 5 E and the rifiies maybe easily and quickly re- 1 moved, and the device will be found adinirably adapted to the uses and purpose for which 1 it is intended.

Having now fully described my invention,

40 whatlclaim as new therein, and desire to se .cure by Letters Patent, is

,1. In anamalgamator, an inclined sluice way consisting of inclined fixed amalgamated plates and movable rifiles, said plates and riflies alternating with each other, in combination with means for imparting motion to said riffles, substantially as set forth.

2. In an amalgamator, the combination, with the inclined sluiceway, of the rifl'les supported upon pivots in the main frame at each side, arms I, pivoted to the under side of each set of rifiles, and a sliding bar engaging with said arms, and mechanism for imparting a longitudinal movement to said bar, substantially as set forth.

3. The combinatiomwith the inclined sluiceway having inclined fixed amalgamated plates in the bottom thereof, of the pivoted riffies alternated with said fixed plates, each of said pivoted rifiles consisting of a body, F, wherein are formed grooves or troughs, and end pieces, K, forming a portion of the side walls of the sluiceway, and mechanism for impartinga rocking motion to said riffles, substantially as set forth.

4. An amalgamator consisting of an inclined sluieeway having sidewalls, A, the bottom of said sluicewaybeing provided with inclined fixed amalgamated plates E and pivoted riflies 'F, alternating with said fixed plates, a sieve, O, at the upper end of said sluieewa-y, connected with a bell-crank, U, driven by a rod, '1, crank-wheels S and V, spur-wheelsN and R, chain P, rods Y, and arms I, the whole combined and arranged sub stantially as set forth.

Signed at New York city, in the county of New .York and State of New York, this 24th day of August, A. D. 1880.

THOMAS E. FREEMAN.

Vitnesses:

JOHN L. BRANCH, GEO. I-I. .GIDDINos, J r. 

